The findings? Those students who went through at least one period of time during the course of the study where they weighed themselves daily not only prevented gaining weight, but actually lost weight. That group experienced smallbut significantdecreases in their body mass indexes (BMIs) after two years, compared to those who weighed themselves less often.
The daily self-weighers also saw a small drop in their body fatabout 2 percent after six months to the end of the study.
We did not expect that, in the absence of a weight loss intervention, folks would be losing weight, study author Diane Rosenbaum, Ph.D., said in a statement.
Now, the researchers are quick to point out some limitations of the study. For one, they cant prove for sure that it was the act of weighing themselves that actually caused them to lose weight. Plus, the participants were college women, so more research needs to be done to see if similar findings would apply to men and people who are out of school, too.
But there are some possible explanations as to why weighing yourself regularly can help you lose weighteven if youre not on a specific diet and exercise weight loss program. (Here are 10 other easy ways to lose weight without even trying.)
For one, weighing yourself daily could provide tangible evidence of how your eating and exercising is affecting your weight. If you see the number climbing, well, that regular monitoring can help you make the necessary adjustments to keep it in check, the researchers write.
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Dont live and die by the number. And of course a scale doesnt decipher between fat and lean body mass, but it can still be of benefit to keep things in check, nutritionist Chris Mohr, Ph.D., R.D., wrote for us in the past.
So use a scale as just one of your tools in your arsenal. Another one you cant miss? An exercise program youll stick with. Try The 21-Day MetaShred from Mens Health. Youll build lean muscle and strip away fatand you dont even need to leave your living room.
Excerpt from:
Weighing Yourself Every Day Can Help You Slim Down, Says Study - Men's Health
